At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

The ninth day of the first month of the first year of Yongchang.

The blizzard fell silently all night. As dawn approached, the darkness that shrouded Yudu was dispelled by the rising sun, and the sky began to lighten with the pale white of dawn.

A sudden, biting wind swept through the city, carrying snowflakes that drifted away, creating an eerie atmosphere. This megacity, with a population of over a million, was eerily silent, like a ghost town.

thump—

The bell tolled throughout the heavens and earth.

"kneel!!"

The long, deep tolling of the bell echoed in the eastern square of the imperial city. Countless people, all dressed in mourning and looking haggard, moved as the chanting began.

"Regardless of the dynasty, there is no kinship among the imperial family."

In the crowd, a thin child dressed in mourning clothes lifted his skirt and knelt on a brocade cushion. The moment his hands, red from the cold, touched the icy snow, the biting chill brought him back to his senses.

"I wonder how things are in the palace now."

"Who knows? It's not something we can control."

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Yes, the late emperor's coffin has been lying in state for more than seven days, and this throne..."

The whispers among the crowd were extremely low, seemingly related to the passing of the late emperor and the vacancy of the throne.

Hearing these comments, the child felt a bit conflicted. "Counting the days, it's been seven days since I crossed over here. It all feels like a dream."

Chu Ling never imagined that time travel would one day happen to him. The only thing that made him feel fortunate was that his name hadn't changed.

This was the only thing he could accept.

The original owner had a noble status, being a member of the royal family, but was very young, only eight years old!

The key question is, what is the Yu Dynasty anyway?!

"Brother Wang, I'm sleepy..."

Kneeling beside Chu Ling was a child of similar age, tears welling in his eyes. He had been observing mourning for seven days and was now on the verge of collapse.

Chu Ling glanced at Rutong and remembered the cake Rutong had secretly given him a few days ago. Chu Ling didn't say anything, but stretched out his hand, which was red from the cold, and pulled the brocade cushion under Rutong's knees, indicating that he should lean on him.

The child showed surprise.

He is so sleepy.

It's too tiring.

"Seventh Prince!!"

Just as the child was about to snuggle up to her, a shrill sound rang out, and countless eyes immediately turned towards them.

Chu Ling frowned slightly; he knew he was indeed being watched.

A white-bearded palace servant walked briskly toward Chu Ling, followed by several other people, each with a different expression.

"The Ten Princes' Palace is observing mourning for the late Emperor. How dare Your Highness overstep the bounds of patriarchal laws and etiquette!" The palace servants who rushed over stared at Chu Ling with hostile eyes and questioned him.

This group of people were not ordinary; they were dispatched by the inner court and the outer court to oversee the mourning affairs of the Ten Princes' Palace.

According to the patriarchal system and rites of the Yu Dynasty, during the period when the coffin of the deceased emperor is kept in state and various mourning and mourning activities are held, anyone who dares to overstep their bounds in private can be impeached by specially appointed inner and outer officials if discovered!

"Which eye of yours saw me overstepping the bounds of patriarchal laws and etiquette?"

What surprised many people was that Chu Ling, who was usually timid and submissive, actually dared to question the palace servants in public.

Chu Ling's eyes were cold.

The palace servants were inexplicably flustered.

This seems quite different from the Seventh Prince he remembered.

Seeing the palace servants' reaction, Chu Ling became certain of his earlier suspicions.

Just because I made a slight movement, does that mean I've overstepped the bounds of patriarchal traditions and rituals?

Why did those who had previously discussed it privately turn a blind eye?

The one lying in the coffin right now is the third emperor of the Yu Dynasty, the only legitimate son of Emperor Taizong Wen!

Chu Ling ranked seventh among Emperor Taizong's sons. If the late emperor were included, Chu Ling should actually be ranked eighth.

The Yu Dynasty had a very strong sense of hierarchy.

To emphasize the importance of the nation's foundation and the dignity of the crown prince, the crown prince is not included in the order of precedence after the investiture ceremony, thus clarifying the distinction between the emperor and his subjects!

The late emperor died suddenly less than a year after ascending the throne. Although he had appointed an empress and taken in many concubines during his lifetime, he failed to leave behind an imperial heir.

That's where things get interesting.

With the throne vacant, the question of who will succeed to the throne, and who is capable of doing so, involves many complexities.

When the emperor dies without an heir, the succession may be chosen either through the line of succession or through the line of succession. Regardless of which option is chosen, according to the Yu system, the line of Emperor Taizong Wen would be given priority.

"Answer my highness!!"

Chu Ling stared coldly at the palace servants and shouted in a deep voice, then revealed a sorrowful expression, "My royal brother passed away before he was even in his prime, and the sky of the Yu Dynasty has collapsed. I am deeply grieved. But you, as a royal servant, in full view of everyone, falsely accused me of overstepping the patriarchal laws and etiquette. What are your true intentions?!"

"Seventh Brother, how dare you speak to me like that?!"

No sooner had Chu Ling finished speaking than a reprimand rang out.

"What do you mean by that, elder brother?"

Upon recognizing the person who had reprimanded him, Chu Ling remained calm and composed.

"presumptuous!!"

Seeing that Chu Ling dared to talk back to him, Chu Hong got up and walked over.

Unfazed, Chu Ling slowly stood up under Chu Hong's angry glare.

Chu Ling looked up at Chu Hong, his youthful face filled with determination.

After receiving the original owner's memories, Chu Ling understood one thing: the vacant throne was destined to be out of his reach.

He was not valued by Emperor Taizong from childhood, his mother was of low birth, and his maternal family had no influence in the court. With these prerequisites, what did he have to fight for?

The fearlessness of the ignorant?

Knowing his own situation and circumstances, Chu Ling understood that what was destined for him was to patiently wait a few more years until he came of age and was officially enfeoffed as a king, becoming an outer vassal of the Yu Dynasty.

They could either be directly granted fiefdoms or sent to other regions.

Either we can postpone the discussion of enfeoffment for a few years.

Therefore, Chu Ling's idea was very simple.

For now, we'll just follow the crowd and observe mourning for the late emperor. Once this matter is over and the succession to the throne is decided, he'll stay in the Tenth Prince's Mansion and continue to be an inconspicuous figure, quietly growing up. When he comes of age, he'll be granted an official title and become a leisurely prince. We'll then never see each other again.

Time travel doesn't tell the whole story.

Moreover, the Yu Dynasty seems to have quite a few secrets.

The experiences of his past life taught Chu Ling one thing: no matter where you are or what cards you hold, you must first understand the rules behind the scenes, or you won't even know how you died!

This is the adult world.

The current situation is that he, an insignificant nobody, has been inexplicably put on a pedestal.

Despite the strangeness, Chu Ling sensed a conspiracy!

"Your Highnesses, please calm down."

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Sun Da, the principal of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and said, "We are currently in the period of mourning, so please do not disturb the late emperor."

Originally, this task wouldn't have been his. Presiding over the mourning period for the late emperor required seniority, but tasks also varied in quality. For example, the current mourning period in front of the Tenth Prince's residence was an extremely sensitive task. Anyone knowledgeable about the political situation wouldn't easily take on it. However, the late emperor had suddenly passed away, and the Minister of Rites and two vice ministers had gone to the palace. Many officials in the Ministry of Rites had received advance notice and had already taken on their tasks, either going to the Hundred Grandchildren's Residence, the Imperial Academy, or elsewhere. Only the task at the Tenth Prince's residence remained vacant...

"Lord Sun is right."

Seeing that the situation was not as they had expected, the palace servants dared not look at Chu Hong and, following Sun Da's words, said, "Right now, observing mourning is the most important thing, don't..."

"Ok?"

Chu Hong's expression changed.

With your level of cunning, you think you can contend for the throne?!

Chu Ling sneered inwardly.

In the current special circumstances, any outrageous behavior could disrupt the delicate balance, and Chu Hong, who had already been enfeoffed as a king and was the eldest son of Emperor Taizong, was clearly unaware of this.

In Chu Hong's view, victory was assured!

Chu Hong's mother was the eldest daughter of the Li family, one of the Nine Pillars of the Yu Dynasty. The Li family had a very high prestige in the army. His maternal grandfather, Li Jin, was the General Who Conquers the West and was currently leading troops to guard the important western Liang region, defending the borders of the Yu Dynasty and guarding against the powerful enemy in Xichuan!

After the news of the late Emperor's death spread out of the palace, Chu Hong kept thinking about one thing: how to ensure that he could seize the vacant throne and become the new emperor of the Yu Dynasty!

However, Chu Hong overlooked one point: at this moment, whether to fight or not was a form of fighting. His various actions had been noticed by Chu Ling, and the kneeling officials had all seen it all...